The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20
4 GETTYSBURG REUNION,
Northern and Southern Soldiers
Meet on the Battlefield.
Philadelphia Veterans Welcoming
Pickett's Survivors.

Pickett's Survivors.
The veterans of the Philadelphia Brigade
and the survivors of the Confederate division
under General Pickett have been holding a
three days reunion on the battlefield of Get
tysburg. On the first day the Philadelphians
reached Gettysburg at about 6, and Picketts
"boys" arrived at $50 p. N. They were re-
ceived by the Philadelphia Brigade and es-
corted from the depot to hotel, where a
stand-up lunch was given them, after
which : all made for the County
Court House, where the first camp fire of the
blue and gray upon the historic grounds of
gettysburg was held John W. Frazier,
Secretary of the Committee Of Arrange
ments, called the meeting to order, and pre-
sented Comrade W. S. Stockton as presiding
officer Mr.. Stockton, after saying that he
hoped this formal gathering of the blue
and gray would mark a new and
gratifying era in our country's history,
introduced Colonel Charles H. Banes,
President of the Philadelphia Brig
ade Association, Colonel Banes made an
address, to which Captain Reeve, of Rich
mond, the commander of Pickett's Divi-
sion Association, responded on behalf of
Picketts veterans. Colonel Mcclure, of
of Pennsylvania, and Colonel R. Aylett
on behalf of Virginia. Speeches were
also made by General w. F. tBaldyl Smith,
General Joshua T. Owen, General Isaac F.
Wistar, Colonel John H. Taggart, and
T. Loehr, secretary of Pickett's Divis-
ion Associations; Colonel J. F. Crocker,
Colonel Robert NJ. Stribling, DR.. j.
A. Marshall, Col Tinoleum Smith, Col Kirk
Otey and others on behalf of the "Gray."
Letters of regret were received from tie
President and his Cabinet, from Senator
Sherman, Gov. Fitzhugh Lee, Gen. Louis
Wagner, Geo. W. Childs, George William
Curtis, Charles A Dana and Others Mrs.
at the reunion, with many representatives
from each of Pickett's four brigades. The
Philadelphia Brigade was represented by
about five hundred survivors of the Sixty
ninth, Seventy-frst, Seventy second, and
106th Regiments.
On the second day Of the reunion many
train loads of excurSionists arrived at Gettys.
burg. The visiting soldiers from both sides
spent the morning in wandering over the bat
tie field and exchanging "reminiscences. In the
afternoon the procession, headed byAdjutant
Whitecar, marched over the route taken twen-
ty-four years ago, to the scene of Pickett's
famous charge The band played ''Rally
Round the Flag" as the Philadelphia boys
reached the Bloody Angle" where they
successfully resisted Pickett's advance. The
stone fence is still standing which
formed their bulwark. Colonel O'Brien,
assembled soldiers to order and read
a list of the killed and wounded of that regi-
ment He introduced General j. T. Owen,
who delivered all eloquent oration. He COM
plimented Pickett's men, and said their
charge was one of the most desperate in the
annals of warfare. He closed by leading
three hearty cheers for Pickett's division.
Colonel Reilly then presented the monument
which had been erected to the care and keep
ing of the Battlefield Memorial Associa-
it in their name, and when he had
finished Colonel Reilly presented him with
gold watch in the name Of the Sixty-ninth.
Mrs. Pickett, escorted by General Baynes,
was sitting on the platform, and when she
was seen the crowd loudly chcered her.
Adjutant-General McDermott presented her
with floral cross, which she acknowledged
by bowng her thanks. The Seventy-first
then took the platform. General Banes
was introduced as orator and spoke
for some time. General Bally Smith spoke
for few minutes after him. 1t was General
Wister's duty to turn the monument over to
the association, and he was much affected at
the signs Of so few men remaining Of. the old
Drigaie His whole speech was interrupted
by his emotions. Ccloacl John w. Wander
slice, OF Philadelphia, received the monu-
nent for the harticfeld association. Prayer
was then offered at famous ciump
Of trees where the Cowan Battery monument
S erected. ColcnA Cowan presented the
{n tl,a ,,or,oriol uscoci.tioO on6
;poke CT the e:ents of twenty-four years ago,
when he had Ec,n commanded to place his
battery there. The monument was received
3n behalf of the association 10y Captain S. c.
lFakner After brief speeches by General
Baldy Smith and General Hunt, the assembly
broke up and returned to town. There were
many pleasant reunions on the field and at
hight many were in reality "tenting on the
I'D camp ground on the spos where they !!
dept on their arms twenty.four years ago.
The third day of the SeSSion-the glorious |
TourtE-was begun by the veterans of both
armies with the booming of cannon OH East I!
Cemetery Hill and the roaring of fre-crack-
rs in the town. Pandemonium reiSned for /
,ne hour and half. No such noise has dis I.
urbed the little village sincl the three |!
days of 1863. In the morn /
ng the members of Pickett's Division .
oined in procession with the Philadelphia .
Brigade Each Pickett man linked arms !
With Phi;ade3phian, and the line proceeded |
% the Eagle Hotel. where th' nnrtv to"''
arriages and started over the oattletlea; Bdta IN
nd her SON George, Mrs Charles ,
;anes, wife of the commander of
he Philadelphia Brigade, and Colonel !
One hundred carriages were in |
he line, which wended its way through the
ust of the Emmittsburg road to the Span .
ler lane Into this they turned, and pro-
eeded past the farmhouse to the rising .
round beyond. Here all alighted, and then
he word went round that Mrs Pickett was
Ding to hold reception on the very ground
yer which her husbands command had
harged, and within q few yards of the woods
nder whose covers he, twenty -four years
efore, had formed his division. The Pickett
len were first formed in line, and one by
ne advanced and were introduced 10 tne
fife Of their old commander by Colonel
'lopton, of Richmond, by name, giving their
eeiment and rank. She had a word for
Ii, and all had word for her: The
Philadelphia Brigade was p:,ot next t.oo9 Pre- e.
er side. and when she dropped a hand it
;as at once grasped by him. The peo-
le then moved to the highest ground, and !
,olonel Bachelor formed the survivors OF
Iemper's, Garnett's, and Armisteads brigade |
f Pickett's Division in the order they had !
een when the charge beganr and asked the |
of each regiment to step forward |
nd point out the position his command oc-
upied! When this was done the party once .
more resumed their ride. One OF the .
incidents of the day took :
lace at the bloody angle where l,5oo Vir-
;inians broke through the lines held by their .
osts, and where the three monuments were ,
edicated on the Sd. The Federal veterans !